All Natural Beef Cooking Suggestions

All Natural Beef Preparation Suggestions

We are happy that you decided to purchase all natural beef from Old River Farms. We take pride in raising the highest quality Angus beef. We use no hormones, no anitbiotics, no steroids and our cows never visit a feedlot. Here are a few suggestions for those who are new to cooking with naturally raised meats. Since our meat is much leaner and healthier than what you’d normally find in the grocery store the cooking techniques are sometimes a little different.

1. This beef is ideal for rare to medium rare cooking. If you like well done beef, we recommend cooking at very low temperatures in a sauce to add moisture.

2. Since our beef is low in fat coat with virgin olive oil, truffle oil or a favorite light oil for flavor enhancement and easy browning. The oil will also prevent drying and sticking.

3. We recommend marinating your beef before cooking, especially lean cuts like NY Strip and Sirloin Steak. Choose a recipe that doesn’t mask the delicate flavor of the beef but enhances the moisture content. A favorite marinade using lemon, vinegar, wine, beer or bourbon is a great choice. Some people use their favorite Italian salad dressing. A 50/50 oil to acid ratio is always a good rule for marinades. For safe handling, always marinate in the refrigerator.

4. If you do not have time to marinate, just coat your thawed steak with your favorite rub, place on a solid surface, cover with plastic and pound your steak a few times to break down the connective tissue. As an added benefit, your favorite rub will be pushed into the beef. Don’t go overboard and flatten your beef unless your recipe calls for it.

5. Stove top cooking is great for any type of steak. You have more control over the temperature than on the grill. You can use butter in the final minutes when the heat is low, in order to carry the taste of fresh garlic through the meat just like the pro steak chefs!

6. Our beef has high protein and low fat levels. It will usually require 30% less cooking time and will continue to cook when removed from heat. For this reason, remove the beef from your heat source 5-10 degrees before it reaches the desired temperature.

Rare: 120-125F Medium: 140-145F Well Done: 160F

7. Let the beef sit covered and in a warm place for 8 to 10 minutes after removing from heat to let the juices redistribute. Never use a fork to turn your beef . . . precious juices will be lost! Always use tongs.

8. Reduce the temperature. 275-300 degrees for roasting or at the lowest heat setting in a crock pot. Again, watch your meat thermometer and don’t overcook your meat. Use moisture from sauces to add to the tenderness when cooking your roast.

9. Never use a microwave to thaw your beef. Either thaw in the refrigerator or for quick thawing place your vacuum sealed package in water for a few minutes. Bring meat to room temperature before cooking . . . do not cook it cold straight from a refrigerator.

10. When preparing hamburgers on the grill, use caramelized onions, olives or roasted peppers to add low fat moisture to the meat while cooking. We do not add extra fat to our burgers (they are 85% to 90% lean) so some moisture is needed to compensate for the lack of fat. Try not to overly compact the meat when making patties. Break off desired burger size amounts and carefully form patties. Again, watch your temp and do not overcook!

For further questions, please feel free to contact us directly or by email.